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Tuesday, 31 May 2016

Rocket
ships, telescopes, and astronauts! My computer brings me NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day and Image of the Day. NASA's space program has been fascinating since I was a
child. These days, it's interesting in more ways, and the information
is much more accessible than it ever was.

Mike
Collins in a command module simulator on June 19, 1969
during a practice rendezvous

Did
you know that since it was founded, NASA makes heaps of learning
materials available for free? Fifty years ago, there were only
newspaper articles for me and my brother to read about the Apollo
program. We watched the moon landings on our family's black-and-white
television. Then in a science magazine we found the mailing address
for NASA. In reply to our questions about astronauts, NASA sent us
free pamphlets and posters and booklets. We sent blank videotapes and
got back recordings about Mars and Venus probes. We were the space
program experts at our school back then!

That
same feeling of “kid in a candy store” is what I get today at
NASA's website at nasa.gov . It's
wonderful to see the photos and videos of images from telescopes and
from probes that visit other planets. Banners at the top of the
screen organize links to many pages on different topics. When I wanted
detailed articles to read on Curiosity Mars rover, it was easy to
find information. Social media links are there, for daily updates
from NASA on current events such as the Pluto fly-by. I even found
podcasts and ebooks to download for my phone and tablet, and ringtone
mp3s for my spouse to mix into Acid music loops! There is material of
interest for people of every age or reading level, and particular
attention is paid to teachers and students. For young children, there
are NASA Space Place at http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/
andNASA Kids Club.

I'll
never forget watching the dawn sky from an isolated farm north of
Edmonton as the space station went by, and feeling connected to the
space program because I looked it up at
https://spotthestation.nasa.gov
. The information NASA gathers on Earth and in space is for everyone.
International scientists study data and draw conclusions that are
wide-reaching. Doctors in Canada's North use monitoring and
communications systems originally developed for astronaut safety.
Artists are inspired by images and ideas from programs that study the
solar system and galaxies.

We
may never know how many people are helped by NASA making this
knowledge available. You can look at NASA's web pages on Benefits To You to get some idea of the impact. The weather data alone is
priceless. As for my brother who made an astronaut costume for
Hallowe'en, he grew up to test computer games and security programs,
and edit Neo-opsis Magazine. I'm the author of over two dozenbooks on sciencefor educational publishers. With my friends and
colleagues I write for our blog Sci/Why which has a list of family-friendly science books you can find in the left-hand column on this page. Whenever someone
says they want to know more about astronomy and the space program, I
send them to NASA's website for all
kinds of information.